Call of the Siren(81)

Relief and gratitude flashed in his expression. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She let out a warm, low laugh. “I know. Come on.”

After redressing in her top and jeans, which she’d washed and laid out to dry after they arrived here, she and Dagan headed to his parked car outside. She slid into the seat, and Dagan closed the door before getting into the driver’s side.

As they pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the address Taeg had given them, he silently reached over and grasped her hand, holding it tightly within his. The unexpected action and the warm, comforting feel of his hand sparked a shiver of acknowledgment in her spine. They were in this together.

When a knot of cool, calming energy unwound from her abdomen and spread outward through her pores, she realized with a start that she’d unknowingly activated her angelic calming ability. For the first time since…

Since Sara died.

She tensed, but before she could draw her hand away Dagan glanced over at her with a small smile.

“Thanks,” he murmured, squeezing her fingers briefly. “I really needed that.”

Lina studied his profile. While he didn’t look happy by any means, he certainly appeared more relaxed. Better able to cope with the news he’d received.

She readjusted her grip, clasping Dagan’s hand tighter to hers. In the grand scheme of things, this was something little she could do for him. After everything he’d done for her. She wouldn’t begrudge him the opportunity to feel a little better, even if only for a short time.

Besides, something about their clasped hands just felt so right.

Turning her head, she gazed out the window. Maybe she and Dagan really were good for each other. She didn’t deserve it…didn’t deserve to be happy after what had happened with Sara…but maybe they could help each other heal.

…

Keegan paced the interior of the hotel room he’d rented. He’d picked the first place he found, certainly nothing fancy. There wasn’t even a lobby. The rooms were accessed from the exterior of the building, making it more of a motel than anything else.

Now that Dagan and Lina had arrived, they’d all convened inside his and Brynn’s room. Taeg and Maya had thrown open the door to the adjoining room they’d rented, but it still felt cramped and crowded.

Not that it mattered. They wouldn’t be here long.

“We have to act quickly,” he said. Much as he’d love to take days to plan their offensive, they didn’t have the luxury of time. Every minute Mammon and Belpheg had Aegin was another minute in which they could be…

No.

Shaking his head, he forced the errant thought from his mind. Heading down that path would only cause him to lose it once again, and right now, he needed the mental clarity. For the sake of his son, he had to be strong.

“Belpheg told Lina he wants to drain our powers, to use our life essences to make himself stronger,” Keegan said. “We need to get Aegin without falling into his trap. If he catches us, we’re dead.”

“I say we storm the fucking place and kill every bastard in sight,” Taeg said hoarsely from his spot on the bed. He hugged Maya tightly to him, clearly taking comfort in her touch, and Maya clutched Brynn’s hand.

Brynn, his beautiful Brynn…she looked broken. Like a shell of her former self. She needed to hold her son in her arms, to know that he was okay. Keegan was going to make that happen, if it took his dying breath to do so.

“That’s the plan,” Keegan said in response to Taeg. “But we need to do it in the smartest way possible.”

Otherwise there was no doubt that one or more of them would die.

“We still have the sword,” Taeg said. “Provided the fae dick hasn’t found a way to circumvent it, we can use that to rend the shield.”

“I can make a call to some acquaintances,” Bram said from where he sat on the floor with his back against the wall. His tone was dull and his gaze downcast. He clearly mourned the loss of his friend, and would probably have been inconsolable if not for the low level of calming energy Ronin was pumping into the room. But Bram was here, and he was willing to die to retrieve Aegin, and that meant more to Keegan than he could ever say.

“Don’t know how much back-up we can round up on such short notice,” Bram continued, “but I figure we can get at least a handful.”

“And the rayamara mercenaries are on stand-by,” Ronin added from where he stood near Bram, leaning back on the wall with Amara hugged against his chest. Being in close proximity to his love strengthened Ronin’s ability to spread his calming ability. It also kept him from losing his shit, something they were all struggling with at this point. “They’re ready to go upon our word.”